Justin Taillon, Ph.D., MBA, CHTP

Justin’s high school guidance counselor nailed his professional path when she called him a hospitality personality when handing him his diploma. Justin subsequently spent a decade in hospitality operations including stints with Starwood, Marriott, and Hilton. In 8 years he opened 4 properties, in roles varying from intern in the housekeeping department to Assistant General Manager. In fact, his lodging career began in Food & Beverage operations while he was still in high school, he moved into hotel operations while earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, and his applied lodging career culminated in an Assistant General Manager posting with Hilton. He then moved into academia, earning higher education degrees from the University of Guelph (MBA) near Toronto and Texas A&M University (PhD). The dichotomy of applied and academic work remains integral to Justin. He maintains this academic and applied focus in his research and outreach by serving as an Associate Editor for Anatolia, being a Global Director for HFTP (Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals) and incoming President of the organization, Chairing HITEC for three years (2019-2021), and working with local industry partners through grants and financed projects such as Starbucks, Food Innovation Network, Port of Seattle (i.e. SeaTac Airport), and many more. His primary research areas of emphasis are market-based socio-cultural conservation and negotiation theory. His research is highlighted by projects he has completed in South Korea, Peru, Costa Rica, Canada (e.g. Quebec, Toronto), USA (e.g. Myrtle Beach, Lake Travis), Ireland, Brazil, Bolivia, Kenya, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turks & Caicos, Montenegro, and more.

Today, Justin is a tenured faculty member at Highline College in Seattle, WA, and works for Central Washington University’s CWU-Des Moines center as well. He is passionate about student advising, open access textbooks and other educational materials, and his dog Maple. His PhD dissertation was even about pet travel!

Se Eun Lee, Ph.D.

Dr. Se Eun Lee’s path in hospitality and tourism is a testament to the power of global education and diverse professional experiences. For starters, she earned three degrees on three continents. This global trek began with a dual major Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management and English Language from Sejong University in Seoul. Dr. Lee broadened her academic horizons at the University of Surrey in England, securing a Master’s degree with merits in Tourism Management. She then went on to achieve her Ph.D. in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University. Her dissertation was focused in consumer behavior and psychology at sporting events.

Dr. Lee has lived in many countries, which led to her interest in long-term tourism and hospitality. For example, she was a study abroad student in New York City while an undergrad in Korea. Her approach to hospitality and tourism is informed by her extensive travels and her passion for immersing herself in different cultures, as evidenced by her recent long-term stays to conduct research in cities such as Algarve (Portugal), Toronto (Canada), Dublin (Ireland), Paris (France), Rome (Italy), and Bogota (Colombia).

Dr. Lee is currently a program director and faculty at Central Washington University (CWU). In this role at CWU, Dr. Lee has been instrumental in developing a robust Hospitality Management curriculum that responds to the dynamic needs of the industry. Her role as a student advisor is underpinned by a passion for guiding students toward fulfilling careers in hospitality and tourism.

Joe Figel, Ph.D.

Joe Figel is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Conservation and Research at the Memphis Zoo, his US-base for coordinating tiger conservation activities in Sumatra, Indonesia. He also serves as Science Advisor for the Indonesia-based Leuser International Foundation (LIF).  Formed by presidential decree in 1994, LIF oversees numerous collaborative projects involving ecotourism development, carbon sequestration, and research and conservation of endangered wildlife. Joe received graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida (Ph.D. – Conservation Biology) and Florida International University (M.Sc. – Environmental Studies) after completing undergraduate studies at the University of Washington (B.Sc. – Wildlife Conservation). His academic path started at Bellevue Community College, where he received an A.A.S. degree. Joe has conducted wildlife studies in National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Forest Reserves across three continents including some of the most biodiverse regions on the planet (e.g. Madidi National Park in the Bolivian Amazon and the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra). Based on this research, he has authored 24 scientific publications – which included contributions from 41 distinct co-authors representing 6 countries – in journals such as Biological Conservation, Wildlife Letters, Ambio, Tropical Conservation Science, and the Public Library of Science (PLoS ONE).  Joe has received numerous honors, grants, and awards from universities and organizations such as the Fulbright Program, American Institute for Indonesian Studies, Harvard University, Colby College, University of Central Florida, and the University of Washington’s Southeast Asia Center. Transportation to his research sites and conferences regularly includes a combination of airplanes, light rail, trains, shuttles, buses (both public and private), ferries and canoes (for work in coastal and aquatic ecosystems), 4×4 vehicles, suspension bridge walkways, Tuk-Tuks, and – his preferred method of travel – muleback in tropical mountains!

Meagan McGuire, M.A., C.D.M.E.

Meagan McGuire is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for Explore Seattle Southside, the regional destination marketing organization for the cities of Des Moines, SeaTac and Tukwila in Washington State. She leads an exceptional team that develops effective strategies to promote the destination to group leaders and meeting planners, ensuring business growth for Seattle Southside’s hospitality and tourism businesses. Prior to this role, Meagan assisted group leaders and meeting planners with tours and events for The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

With a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from Washington State University and 20 years’ experience in the tourism industry, Meagan approaches her work through a social science lens. From psychographics to storytelling, tourism marketing is best achieved through studying people and culture. Understanding travel and tourism, a significant component of what makes us human, is an anthropological pursuit.

In 2019, Meagan was accredited with a CDME (Certified Destination Management Executive) from Destinations International. In 2023, she was awarded a Smart Women in Meetings Visionary Award from Smart Meetings International.